North Texans gave TEXRail a warm welcome during the commuter rail line’s opening weekend, Jan. 12-13. More than 11,000 riders experienced the new TEXRail train that travels across a 27-mile route from downtown Fort Worth to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B.
Ridership on Saturday reached 6,489, and Sunday’s ridership was 4,625, yielding a weekend total of 11,114.
Numbers from the weekend show that some of the most popular places to board were the Fort Worth Texas & Pacific Station, Grapevine/Main Street Station and the DFW Airport Terminal B Station. The Downtown ITC/Fort Worth Station and North Richland Hills/Smithfield Station also reflected strong ridership
On Saturday, 220 riders boarded at the Fort Worth T&P Station for one of the trains. At Grapevine, 170 riders boarded a morning train. An afternoon train had 236 riders board at the DFW Airport Terminal B Station. On one of the Sunday trains, 201 passengers boarded at the T&P Station. On the other end of the line, 167 riders boarded the train at the DFW Airport Terminal B Station.
“From the feedback we received, riders were trying TEXRail for a number of reasons,” Trinity Metro President/CEO Paul J. Ballard said. “Some were taking day trips with their families, and others were testing out the route in anticipation of commuting to work during the week. We also saw travelers with luggage going to or from the airport.”
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Fort Worth Museum of Science and History Announces New Chief of Staff
Chair of American Alliance of Museums Board Joins Leadership Team
Fort Worth, TX - The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is pleased to announce Kippen de Alba Chu, executive director of Iolani Palace in Honolulu and current Chair of the American Alliance of Museums board of directors, will assume a new leadership role as chief of staff to the president. In this capacity, de Alba Chu will oversee all aspects of daily operations.
A nationally recognized museum professional, de Alba Chu brings extensive leadership experience in executive non-profit and public affairs to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. In addition to his role with the AAM board, de Alba Chu is also a member of the Western Museums Association, the Royal Order of Kamehameha and the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu.
"I'm very pleased to have someone of Kippen's caliber join our team at this time," said Van A. Romans, museum president. "We worked together for nearly a decade on the AAM board. He is well regarded and deeply respected by his peers, and I think his dynamic leadership ability will be an asset not only to our Museum but to our community, as well."
De Alba Chu, who speaks five languages, is a graduate of the American University of Paris and studied in Italy at Urbino and the University of Bologna. He served as chief of staff for Hawaii state representative Bertha Kawakami for nearly 15 years before assuming his role as executive director of Iolani Palace, where he led the iconic landmark through its accreditation process and a successful capital campaign to fund its restoration and preservation.
"Not only does Kippen have an outstanding track record as an innovative museum leader, but he also serves as a true champion and advocate for the museum field," said Laura Lott, president and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums. "He brings a great perspective to the position, having served in many different roles throughout his career. Alliance members especially appreciate Kippen's dedication to working collaboratively across our diverse field."
Iolani Palace is the only official royal residence in the United States and has flourished as an essential cultural destination under de Alba Chu's leadership. Visitors and revenue to Iolani Palace have more than doubled, while the site has also expanded its hours of operation. "One of our most significant accomplishments was gaining accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2014," said de Alba Chu. "We joined only four other museums in Hawaii with this distinction."
De Alba Chu and his family will move to Fort Worth soon, and he will assume his new role at the Museum in early February. "Having the chance to work with Van Romans and his team is by far the most exciting aspect of this opportunity," said de Alba Chu. "In the museum field, colleagues describe Van as a visionary and have deep respect for him and his creativity. FWMSH, as it stands today, epitomizes Van's imagination and prescience of how great museums have a long-lasting and positive impact on people, especially children."
"This is an important time for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History," said Romans. "We are at the leading edge of museum innovation, and the addition of Kippen to our team reinforces that commitment to excellence and our future."
Fort Worth Bike Sharing riders cruise through Sundance Square.
Fort Worth Bike Sharing continues to roll up impressive numbers as it expands its network.
Some 2018 statistics for the program:
Currently there are 46 stations in the system, and 350 bicycles.
Two upcoming parades celebrate the rich heritage and traditions of Fort Worth. You won’t want to miss these events:
Fort Worth Stock Show Parade
The Fort Worth Stock Show’s All Western Parade is scheduled for 11 a.m. Jan. 19 in downtown Fort Worth. Nearly 100,000 spectators line the streets of downtown Cowtown to watch this spectacular annual event. Plenty of horses and other livestock can be seen — but no motorized vehicles are allowed.
The parade starts at the corner of Weatherford and Main streets, heads south on Main Street to Ninth Street, then north on Houston Street before ending at Houston and Bluff streets.
To reserve parade seating, contact the ticket office at 817-877-2420 and keep your seat ticket because it also serves as general admission to the Stock Show grounds any day during the 23-day run (rodeo performances are not included).
To learn about all the western activities coming up Jan. 18-Feb. 9, check out the Stock Show’s website.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade
Fort Worth’s 34th annual tribute to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. steps off at 11 a.m. Jan. 21.
The parade begins at Ninth and Commerce streets, heads west on Ninth Street, north on Houston Street, east on Weatherford Street, south on Main Street before ending with a rally at Sundance Square Plaza from about noon-1:30 p.m.
To learn more, contact Roderick Miles Jr. at 817-247-7964.
Before the parade begins, the Martin Luther King Jr. Heritage Trails marker will be unveiled. Join special guests Dr. Gary and Anne Lacefield and the TCU Jazz Ensemble at 9 a.m. at the corner of Main Street and 9th Street. The ensemble will perform under the direction of Dr. Amy Stewart and a former member of the Texas Rangers Baseball Team.
Reasonable apartment rents put Fort Worth at No. 7 on the list of most affordable cities to live and work.
For recent graduates, young professionals or anyone considering a career change, affordability of housing often becomes a deciding factor in where they choose to look for a job. That’s good news for Fort Worth, which was recently named No. 7 on a list of most affordable cities to live and work.
BusinessStudent.com wanted to see which areas of the country, and which cities in those areas, give business professionals the biggest bang for the buck, so they compared the highest quoted salaries from more than 100 business-related jobs to average rent for a two-bedroom apartment.
The average salary for Fort Worth was recorded at $75,797, and the average rent was $1,108. That leaves an after-rent salary of $62,501 or 82 percent of the total salary.
Cities that ranked above Fort Worth were Tulsa, Okla. (No. 1); Lexington, Ky.; Oklahoma City; Las Vegas; Memphis; and Columbia, S.C.
The City Council accepted a slate of more than 20 recommendations from the Task Force on Race and Culture on December 11.
Mayor Betsy Price directed city staff to research costs of implementing the recommendations and to investigate how other large cities in Texas and across the nation handle issues of racial and cultural disparity.
If all aspects of the recommendations were to be approved and implemented, there would be a $3 million impact on the fiscal year 2020 city budget. The costs would represent .5 percent of the city’s general fund budget and would add seven full-time and 20 part-time staff positions.
Further action on implementing the recommendations is expected in 2019.
View the recommendations.
The city council voted to approve the pension plan proposed at last night’s meeting.
Council members voted to approve the plan as follows:
The final plan that was accepted by the city council includes increasing contributions from the city and employees, eliminating service credit for future accruals of sick leave and major medical leave, and making changes to Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs). (More detailed information on each element, and a list of frequently asked questions are being prepared for future distribution.)
Key elements of the proposed pension plan can be view here.
Tanya Brooks will be assistant director overseeing the Traffic Management Division. In her new role she will be responsible for maintaining and operating the city’s parking, signal, street lighting, pavement markings and street signage programs, as well as the transportation and engineering planning sections.
Chad Edwards will be the mobility and innovation officer. He comes to Fort Worth with nearly 20 years of experience in transportation planning. Most recently, Edwards was assistant vice president of capital planning at Dallas Area Rapid Transit, where he had oversight of several areas, including corridor development, feasibility assessments, transit system planning and travel demand modeling.
The Texas Department of Transportation invites residents to review proposed improvements to I-30 from Linkcrest Drive to I-820. The meeting will be an open house format with no formal presentation, allowing residents to come and go at their convenience. The meeting will be 6-8 p.m. Dec. 5 at Covenant Classical School, 1701 Wind Star Way.
The project length is 3.4 miles. Approximately 3.48 acres of additional right of way is anticipated to be required. The study limits for the traffic and environmental evaluations include I-30 from Walsh Ranch Parkway to Las Vegas Trail and along I-820 from Clifford Street to Chapin Road.
The proposed alternatives include:
To learn more, contact TxDOT at 817-370-6500.
Fort Worth has finally crossed the King of Country’s mind.
Country legend George Strait is set to play at Dickies Arena on Nov. 22, 2019. The performance, which is the first concert announced at the venue, will begin at 8 p.m. Asleep at the Wheel will open for Strait.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Dec. 7 at Ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices range from $19.82 to $250, with limited tickets available at $19.82 to commemorate one of Strait’s only Fort Worth performances, at Billy Bob’s in 1982. VIP packages will also be available for purchase.
“We are thrilled to make Texas legend George Strait our first concert announcement at Dickies Arena,” said Trail Drive Management Corp.’s Matt Homan, president and general manager of Dickies Arena. “This performance will be in one of George Strait’s most intimate arena settings, and we can’t wait to bring this to Fort Worth.”
Dickies Arena will be a 14,000-seat multipurpose venue adjacent to the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth. The facility is the result of a pioneering public-private partnership between the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, the state of Texas and a group of private-sector participants, including foundations, individuals and organizations.
The arena will be owned by the City of Fort Worth and managed by the not-for-profit operating entity Trail Drive Management Corp. The state-of-the-art arena, scheduled to open in November 2019, will host concerts, sporting events and family entertainment, and will be the new home to Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo performances.
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